Redevelopment, work on infrastructure demands, increasing open space and the controversial 2006 purchase of the former Safeco building mark the tenures of four Lake Oswego city councilors finishing their terms this year.

Mayor Judie Hammerstad and Councilors Ellie McPeak, John Turchi and Frank Groznik share about 30 collective years of experience on the council. The departing members proved to be the core of a strong council led by the experienced and well-sourced Hammerstad, a former state legislator and Clackamas County commissioner.

Hammerstad, McPeak and Turchi were term-limited after serving at least two terms; Groznik, who previously served four years on the planning commission, chose to not run for a second term.

The most noticeable result of their time in city government is certainly Lake View Village, where shops and surrounding activity provide the cornerstone of a revitalized downtown.

"It brings people downtown, and as an economic driver it's been extremely successful, both in terms of jobs and economic value," Hammerstad said.

All four councilors also worked on developing the Lake Grove Village Town Center plan that will transform the west side of the city and Boones Ferry Road into an urban center.

Lake Oswego has also purchased substantial open spaces in areas such as Iron Mountain Park and supported construction of lakefront Millennium Plaza Park and Foothills Park on the Willamette River. The city is also moving forward with work on Lakefront Park at the site of the former U.S. Bank building.

The council also tackled two of the most expensive public works projects in the city's history: the $100 million Lake Oswego Interceptor Sewer and the $135 million water supply partnership with Tigard. Though both projects fix longstanding problems with aging infrastructure, they come with substantial water and sewer rate increases for residents in coming years.

Despite the generally well-received work in these areas, their tenures are also marked by the $20 million purchase of the West End Building that divided the community, with many calling on the city to sell it.

"Instead of putting forth a vision that people could grasp, we hesitated, and then people started having second thoughts," Groznik said. "Had we put forth that vision, implemented it, we would be constructing a community center now ... and creating jobs."

An acrimonious November 2007 ballot measure allowed the city to retain the building, and the city is amid a public process to determine the building's future.

None of the four departing councilors said they regretted purchasing the building, but all said they mishandled the follow-through.

"The thing I regret the most is not putting the Safeco building on the ballot in 2006," Turchi said. "It was controversial, and we needed to go immediately to the voters to ask their permission."

More recently, the city faced another public relations fallout with residents after the proposed use of the Lake Grove Swim Park as a staging area for the sewer interceptor project riled swim park easement holders, including some who threatened litigation.

All said they will likely continue to work on civic issues in their newfound free time.

Hammerstad said she would like to start a group called "Connect LO" to advocate for extending the streetcar from Portland to downtown Lake Oswego.

All said they would likely volunteer or possibly serve on citizen advisory boards. Groznik did not rule out the possibility of running for public office in the future, though he plans on learning to play computer games with his 11-year-old son for now.

"These nine years have been a lot of work, but I have felt very privileged to serve my community this way," McPeak said. "I've met a lot of good people, and I've done my best to make it better than when I found it."